Want to get involved in TGA? Here are 20 ways!TGA Share This is your association. It's your industry. And the more you can be involved, the stronger TGA will be for it. And the stronger our industry will be as a whole. Get involved now — it's easy, and you'll be helping build a better business environment for your own business. Click here for more info!More

HADAKI Lug Around PodFrom the gym to weekend getaways, this leather trimmed duffel does it all. External magnetic pockets, an organized interior, and a wipeable exterior add function to fashion. Multiple prints available. MORE

Save $100 with Show registrationTGA Share It always pays to plan ahead for The Travel Goods Show, and that's never been more true than now. Register for the Show online here and you'll sidestep this year's $100 on-site registration fee for attendees. Plus you'll be taking advantage of
our smoothest-ever registration process. Just follow the link, and you can get registered and make your room reservations for Chicago, all in one fell swoop. It's never been easier to attend The Travel Goods Show. And there's never been a bigger, more-anticipated showcase for the travel goods industry. So sign up now, and guarantee your place at the biggest event in travel goods.More

Show off with leisure travelTGA Share Leisure travel is the focus of the next issue of Travel Goods Showcase, when we shine the spotlight on the luggage, gear and accessories that turn time-off into true vacations that refresh,
invigorate and excite. If you make the perfect leisure travel item — whether it's the ultimate checked bag, the world's greatest carry-on, day bags or accessories that help organize travelers, protect delicate electronics, ease their worries or enhance comfort and the overall travel experience — and it's brand new, we want to tell our readers about it. Travel Goods Showcase might enjoy worldwide distribution, but space is finite. Let us know about your must-have items now,
while there's still space. Contact Kim Wong with details about your new leisure travel items at kim@travel-goods.org, 877-842-1938, x-705, and Travel Goods Showcase will help put you on the retailing landscape!

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China currency bill moves to House floorTGA Share The House Ways & Means Committee on Sept. 24 approved by voice vote pending legislation sponsored by Congressman Tim Ryan, D-Ohio and amended by House Ways & Means
Committee Chair Sandy Levin, D-Mich, that would punish China over the currency issue. The TGA-opposed legislation, the Currency Reform Fair Trade Act (H.R. 2378), which is now co-sponsored by almost one-third of all House members, would make currency manipulation a subsidy under U.S. countervailing duty laws, making it much easier to bring
and win trade remedy cases against U.S. imports of specific products from China. The full U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill later this week before it adjourns for the November elections. The fate of the legislation remains uncertain, however, because the U.S. Senate might not have enough time to consider the legislation before the Senate adjourns at the end of this week for the November elections.More

TGA-supported small-business jobs
and lending bill ready for Obama's signatureTGA Share The U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 23 voted
237-187 to pass the H.R. 5297, the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act. The U.S. Senate had already approved the measure. The TGA-supported measure would extend, through Dec. 31, 2010, the expansion of the size of loans for which the U.S. Small Business Administration will provide
guarantees from $2 million to $5 million. Further, the legislation would extend the SBA loan guarantee from 75% to 90% of the value of the loan. Both programs have proven vital to expanding access to credit for small- and medium-sized businesses. The legislation also includes a $30 billion lending pool for banks with less than $10 billion in assets, which supporters say will spur $300 billion in lending.More

Travel Goods, Gadgets & Gear: Packing 'green'Travelin' Tales Share Take only pictures; leave on footprints — great advice but not terribly practical when you're on a press tour that requires multiple wardrobe changes, photography equipment and recording devices,
not to mention those little luxuries you simply can't leave home without. Here are some products that keep you lean and green on your travels — and allow you your indulgences.More

Recession shaped new trends in business travelFinancial Post via Montreal Gazette Share A new normal was established for corporate travel during the recession that increasingly saw executives flying in economy seats and staying in cheaper hotels in order to save cash. Despite improving corporate profitability in 2010, that trend has continued so far this year. Charles Petruccelli, American Express president of global travel service, spoke with the
Financial Post's Scott Deveau to discuss this and the other attributes of corporate travel in the aftermath of the recession.More

Southwest to buy AirTran for $1.37 billionNew York Times Share Southwest Airlines, the biggest discount airline in the United States, on Monday said it had agreed to acquire AirTran Airways for $1.37 billion in cash and stock. The deal would give Southwest access to Atlanta, the biggest domestic market that the airline currently does not serve. "The acquisition also allows us to expand our presence in key markets, like New York LaGuardia, Boston Logan, and Baltimore/Washington," Gary
Kelley, Southwest's chief executive, said in a statement.More

Retailers increasing spending on Internet, mobile channelsMarketingProfs Share Most retailers say they are emerging from the recession better positioned for strong and sustainable revenue growth, with many planning to increase spending on Internet and mobile channels over the next 12 months, according to a survey from Forbes Insights. In addition, most retailers are planning to advertise more aggressively during the 2010 holiday shopping season.More

Free Test: What do users' memories reveal about your company homepage's design flaws?Fast Company Share What's the best way to test the effectiveness of your company's website design? How do you know if you're getting your message across to visitors? Andreas Weigend, the former chief scientist of Amazon, recommends sifting through homepage searches to see what visitors are having trouble finding. But to truly understand what your site conveys, why not test a reader's memory? A new service by interactive design firm Zurb is doing just
that. Called Clue, the tool enables businesses to test its website with "super-fast memory tests" using screenshots to measure first impressions. More